The late US second-in-command Dick Cheney, who passed away at the age of 84, was regarded as among the most influential holders of that position in American history. Whereas numerous second-in-commands were limited to peripheral or ceremonial positions, Cheney held huge sway during the term of George W Bush, so much so that he was commonly described as the "real president".
Bush disliked this portrayal and claimed the relationship was more complex. He observed that Cheney was courteous, always referring to him in official appearances as Mr President, while he called him as Dick. Bush challenged even portrayals of their relationship as a partnership because it implied that they were on equal footing. In spite of such protestations, Cheney viewed the laidback president malleable on a wide array of policy decisions.
A Period Following the Attacks
In charge of a contingent of neo-conservatives that included Pentagon chief Donald Rumsfeld and assistant defense secretary Paul Wolfowitz, he vigorously promoted the invasion of Iraq in 2003 in reaction to the 9/11 attacks on New York and Washington. During of the 9/11 assault, Bush had been participating in a gathering at a educational institution in Florida. While Bush traveled to a secure location in Nebraska, Cheney assumed control, directing the shooting down of any non-communicating aircraft approaching the government building.
Cheney stated the attacks altered his perspective, making him become determined on retaliation. In conjunction with other conservative figures, like Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he advocated for a invasion of Afghanistan in an endeavor to apprehend Osama bin Laden. Cheney then vigorously pushed for the military action of Iraq, though there was no evidence of Saddam Hussein playing a role.
Controversial Actions
He expressed no regrets about the invasion, in which an estimated 100,000 Iraqis perished, or about the harsh treatment of detainees captured after 9/11. He told CNN in 2015 that the Iraq military action, which was based on inaccurate reports repeated by Cheney, was the right course of action. "It was the right thing to do then. I had faith at the time and I maintain that stance now."
Yet even at the time, there were contrary opinions at a top tier about the poor management of Iraq. One of the government's own representatives to the area, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was dismissed from the role. "I saw, as a baseline," he wrote later "true dereliction, carelessness, and irresponsibility: in the worst case, lying, ineptitude, and graft."
Broader Context
Cheney was not completely accountable for the Iraq military action. Even before 9/11, Wolfowitz had called for similar measures. He had written a memorandum setting out circumstances in which American interests might be threatened (including "availability of crucial commodities, primarily Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had asserted that "the United States should be postured to act independently when collective action cannot be orchestrated," explicitly citing military moves against Iraq.
Bush too had entered the White House vaguely intent on carrying out what his parent had notably declined to do in 1991; topple Saddam. After he had been dismissed by the president, the Treasury head Paul O'Neill disclosed how, at the first meeting of the National Security Council in January 2001, Bush had announced his plan of lowering America's engagement in the Middle East dispute and suggested armed intervention against Iraq.
Bush bore a individual resentment against Saddam, convinced he had been involved in a plot to murder his predecessor, President George HW Bush, on a trip to Kuwait in 1993. He furthermore objected to that one of the largest accommodations in Baghdad had a floor mural with a likeness of his father's visage that all visitors had to step on.
Questioning Techniques
But it was Cheney who was part of the most vehement supporting attacking Iraq, repeatedly quoting information documents that were whether thin or totally deceptive. He supported what the Bush government euphemistically referred to as "intensive questioning", the application of waterboarding and harsh treatment.
Responding to a Senate analysis in 2014 that determined that no actionable intelligence had resulted from the torture, Cheney disregarded the report as "riddled with crap". He stated to Fox News: "We instructed [the CIA] to take steps and establish procedures to capture the bastards who took the lives of 3,000 of us on 9/11 and ensure it would not recur. That is precisely what they did and they deserve a lot of credit."
Public Persona
Cheney reveled in monikers imposed on him by opponents such as the dark character and The Prince of Darkness, and by the concept that he was a sinister influence manipulating Bush. In the author's 2013 publication about the two, Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House, Cheney is reported as stating: "Do I represent the evil genius in the corner that nobody ever sees leave his lair? This represents a advantageous way to function, actually."
Corporate Connections
Dispute over his corporate affiliations accompanied him during his tenure as VP. Although he had limited background in commerce but strong connections in military, especially in Saudi Arabia, he was offered a position at Halliburton, one of the world's largest oil and gas companies, in 1995 as chairman and chief executive.
In 2000 he became Bush's running mate for the White House. Controversially, during the military campaign, Halliburton was awarded US deals valued at billions.
It made him rich. His annual income during his time at the company increased from his previous salary while military head to $4.4m. When he departed in 2000 he had a severance arrangement totaling in excess of $20m|twenty
